Twenty Years and Counting
by Powdered Doughnuts
Summary: Phil Coulson: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., connoisseur of donuts, and...family man?  After twenty years of marriage and a lifetime of fighting evil, there is only one thing he fears:  Being late for dinner  again .
1. Chapter 1

**Twenty Years and Counting:**

**An Agent Coulson Fluff**

**By Powdered Doughnuts**

_Prologue_

"C'mon, Cracker Jack!" Special Agent Phil Coulson had faced down terrorists and monsters, but he still quailed in the face of his wife's fury. He winced as he heard random drawers slam open and closed.

"Oh don't you 'Cracker Jack' me!" she yelled through the bathroom door. Phil tried jiggling the bathroom door's handle again, only to have it open suddenly. He stepped back quickly as his wife huffed past him.

"Jackie-!"

"An entire year of planning- _gone_! Twenty year anniversary to Paris, _kaput_!" She was carrying a basket of laundry. Until that moment, Agent Coulson had never realized that it was even possible to fold clothes "aggressively". Nevertheless, he felt sorry for his socks and underwear as Jackie savagely bent them in two and shoved them in the appropriate drawers.

"Once again, your job is calling you away. Once again, its all last minute." Jackie was so angry that her hands curled up into the shirt she was folding, wadding it into a wrinkled mess. "Once again, we have to cancel plans that we've made months in advance for your stupid job! It's just- Erghh!" She underscored her frustration by throwing the shirt across the room. "I am trying to be understanding Phillip, really I am. But its getting harder and harder to do it." She walked to the bed and sprawled across it to glare at the ceiling. Phil bent down to pick up the shirt.

"I'm sorry Jackie. If there was another way I'd take it, but I can't." He sat on the bed beside her. "There are some..._issues_ in California that they need me to deal with."

"I still don't see how an IRS agent gets called out as much as you do." Jackie said in a defeated tone.

Phil froze minutely. He wasn't exactly an IRS agent. He worked for the government, but it was a whole other branch entirely. That was something he wanted to make sure his wife and family never found out about, it was safer for everyone that way.

"I guess I'm just that good at my job."

"Yeah," Jackie sat up, "I know you are."

Phil hated seeing the look of utter defeat on his wife's face.

"Hey we can do something else," he said nudging her with his shoulder. "And I _will_ take you to Paris! I promise...just, not next week."

"Mmm... I guess we can just go to a dinner and a movie," Jackie said airily.

Phil bit his tongue. He was about to make that very suggestion, but the tone of his wife's voice warned him that he ought to try a little harder.

"Nah. We always do that, how about we go out to Georgetown for the night? The 1789 restaurant sound good to you?"

Jackie rose her eyebrow.

"The 1789? Really? We haven't been there since you asked me to marry you."

"Yeah, its our 20th wedding anniversary. It's kind of fitting to go back to it. A full circle kind of thing don't you think?" He kissed her forehead and was relieved when he saw a mischievous smile blossom on her face. Jackie snuggled into his side.

"You're just trying to butter me up."

"Is it working?" Phil asked.

Jackie threw all of her weight against him sending him back against the bed.

"You're getting there."

"Oh, what could I do to build some momentum?" he asked, sliding one of his hands up along her side. His palm cupped her breast and squeezed it through her shirt.

Jackie moaned in appreciation. "You're getting warmer."

Using his free hand, Phil pulled his wife forward. He held her body flush against his own as he sampled her lips, gently at first, but with growing urgency as their bodies responded to the flare of passion. It was his turn to growl with pleasure as Jackie put both of her hands on his hips and bucked against the nascent bulge of his arousal.

"Jack..." he breathed into her hair. His fingers slipped underneath her sweater and started fumbling with the clasp of her bra. "Where are the kids?" he asked in a ragged tone.

"Youth group," she panted back. "Sarah is dropping them off at seven."

"Two hours," Phil responded. "I guess that means we'll have to hurry..."

Jackie gave his ass a teasing squeeze and then squealed as he shifted their positions by rolling her onto her back. He peeled her sweater off of her body and bent to sample her breasts- and then froze at the sound of his phone chirping to announce a message.

"Ignore it!" Jackie pleaded, trying to hold him in place- but it wasn't any use. The mood was automatically shattered. Phil released her without a second thought and grabbed for the phone. His entire attention was focused on work .

His eyes scanned the words on the screen and frowned. He clicked off the message, slipped the device back into his pocket and reached for his jacket.

"You're going?" Jackie said- it was more of a statement than a question.

"I'm sorry, Jackie. The director needs to see me. It's urgent."

"The director," she repeated in a dead tone that Phil didn't even seem to notice. She wondered if she completely believed that all of this was really about "work". For the last two years, Phil had been dropping everything to disappear from the house for hours- and sometimes days- at a time.

"I'll be back soon, honey," he said, seemingly oblivious to her displeasure. He popped a kiss on the center of her forehead. "Give the kids a kiss for me if I'm not back to tuck them in bed."

Phil paused just long enough to look in the mirror and straighten his tie. Then, without another word, he left the room.

Jackie remained on the bed, sweater askew, bra unfastened, staring up at the ceiling fan until she heard Phil's Acura roar to life and speed away. As soon as the sound had faded, she grabbed one of the pillows, put it over her mouth, and then screamed.

She didn't know how much more of this she could stand. Who would have guessed twenty years ago that Phil would turn out to be the flake?

* * *

><p>AN: "But Agent Coulson is single!" you say.

Au contraire! Check out our bio for a link to canonical proof that Phil is hitched!

Please drop us a note if you like it :D If you hate it- move along...this is pure, unapologetic Coulson fluff- because Phil is a hottie and we couldn't find a story where he hooked up with a woman (I know many of you love slash, and that's fine...but not our thing).


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

It was the summer of 1989. Jackie was on break from her sophomore year of college at William & Mary where she was majoring in Art...or possibly it had been Film history at the time...but she was considering switching over to Scandinavian Languages. She and her friends were spending the summer season waitressing at Virginia Beach in the hopes of saving up enough money to spend a semester abroad. There were eight girls sharing a three bedroom cottage a block away from the beach. When you factored in their friends, boyfriends, one-night-stands, brothers and stragglers off the beach (because honestly, who would notice), there was barely enough room to sit down, much less sleep. Jackie had started picking up the midnight shift at Denny's. That way, when she got home, enough people were passed out (or at least, hung over) that she could get some sleep.

Of course, she loved to party too- she just didn't like to spend her own money doing it. Luckily, her friends Veronica and Steph had hit upon the perfect scheme.

Virginia Beach was teeming with tourists, but it was only twenty miles from Norfolk, one of the largest naval bases in the world. On Friday and Saturday nights the bars were packed with sailors and marines- and none of them were ever averse to buying a pretty girl a drink!

The music swayed her as Jackie maneuvered herself like an expert through the crowd. Bugatti's was one of her favorite clubs to go to. The music was great, the drinks were well made and the guys would line up. She wasn't too proud to charm a free drink out of a guy or two. After all what woman was? On that particular Friday night, she had just walked off of the dance floor and was making her way back to her friends when she ran right into a certain man that would change her life. Jackie's glass collided with the chest of the stranger, sloshing its contents all over his shirt and knocking his own drink out of his grasp and onto the floor!

"Oh God! I'm so sorry!" Jackie tried blotting her drink off of the man's shirt with a cocktail napkin.

"No really its ok. I understand." The man said, waving away her hands, trying to get her to stop fussing over him

Jackie glanced up.

"But, it's my fault!" Judging from his look and bearing he was a military man- Navy, if she wasn't mistaken.

"No really, its fine. It's just really crowded." He seemed flustered. It was an endearing contrast from most men in the bar. Jackie quirked a peculiar smile.

"It looks like I owe you a drink, Mr. Navy Guy." She tried to hide her smile as she saw him blush.

"No that isn't nec-"

Jackie tugged on the man's shirt, trying to lead him toward the bar, completely ignoring the stranger's protest.

"It's entirely necessary," she insisted.

He sounded like he was about to argue some more but the man perched on the stool next to him- one of his buddies, not doubt- punched his arm and shoved him closer to Jackie.

"Are you crazy? Go with her!"

Jackie smirked as she led him away from his table to the corner of the bar where her friends were standing. They turned and gave him a once over, she ignored them and called the bartender.

"Eddie!" Jackie yelled out trying to get the bartenders attention. After a few more yells and catcalls the bartender came around to her.

"Jackie I heard you the first time. Have you no decency?" Eddie teased her in good nature.

Jackie scoffed. "Nah, I lost that after the third shot!" She laughed and then turned to her new friend. "I accidentally spilled my drink all this fine sailor, be a dear and get me a new one…and something for him as well so he knows how sorry I am."

She turned expectantly to the man.

He sounded reluctant, but eventually asked for a Jack and Coke.

Jackie smiled shamelessly at the man she was mentally referring to as "Mr. Navy Guy."

Eddie took one look at the poor guy and laughed outright.

"Phil she's not going to bite." Eddie said, before rushing away to mix the drink.

_"Much,"_ Jackie mentally amended with glee.

Her attraction to the man was strange. Anyone who knew her would say (correctly) that Jackie never ever went after military men. They were too rigid, rude and uptight for her tastes. This one intrigued her though. At least he looked like he had some manners!

Jackie decided to find out a little more about the stranger. "So your name is Phil? Do you have a last name or am I going to have to call you 'Mr. Navy Guy' for the rest of the night?"

The man laughed.

"Phil Coulson," he said, his rigid posture softening at last.

Jackie smiled and held out her hand.

"Jacqueline Hanley. You can call me Jackie though. Everyone does."

Phil looked like he was having a hard time trying to say something. He didn't act like he wasn't used to having girls come up to him and make the first move. In all honesty Jackie rarely acted so bold. Usually she didn't have to- the guys just fell into her lap. This time though, it seemed she fell into his.

"What makes you think I'm in the Navy?" Phil asked at last.

Jackie smiled. it was a legitimate question- after all, he wasn't wearing a uniform.

"Well considering this is Norfolk and just about half the population has its fingers in the military, I assumed it was what you did. Plus… you have this look that just says, 'Hey I'm a military guy!'"

Jackie's hands gestured wildly. It was one of her quirks. Whenever she talked she used her hands as part of the story.

Phil looked like he was trying not to laugh at her peculiar ways.

"So, why did you guess Navy? There are plenty of Marines around here too- and a couple of soldiers and airmen. Why not another branch? Playing the odds?"

Jackie put her hand up in front of her in the shape of a picture frame and squinted playfully as if she was examining his face for clues.

"Hmm…nope, you just don't have that booyah asshole look." She grinned and put her hands down leaning against the bar. "Sorry- but all the Marines I know are jerks…" She really hoped that she had guessed correctly. "And you're right about the odds- I don't think there are enough Air Force and Army around to make that a wise bet… So then all that leaves is the Navy." She tilted her head and watched him closely. "Am I wrong?"

Eddie returned with their drinks. Jackie took a sip of hers while she waited for Phil to answer.  
>He watched as she unconsciously licked the moisture from her lips.<p>

"No, your absolutely right." Phil was holding his Jack and Coke. He tried to set it on the bar without looking down. Unfortunately he completely missed the counter.

The sound of shattering glass momentarily rose over the roar of the bar. Jackie looked down and her mouth dropped open in surprise at what he did. She looked back up to the shocked and horrified expression on the Navy man. It was only made matters worse when her Veronica and Steph noticed the faux pas and started to howl with laughter.

Jackie turned to glare at them, hoping to shut them up before they embarrassed her new friend any further, but when she turned back, Phil had already grabbed a ten dollar bill out of his pocket and laid it on the bar. He jerked his chin in Jackie's direction.

"It was nice talking with you. I have to go. Bye."

Before she could stop him, Phil had disappeared into crowd.

Jackie's expression registered her surprise and then her annoyance. "Dammit, you two!" She turned and glared at her friends. "Steph, Ronnie, I don't do that to you when your potential conquests make asses out of themselves!"

"Whoa! You were actually making a play for him?" Steph asked in disbelief.

"That's a first! I thought you said 'no military guys' for you." Ronnie chimed in as she sipped her drink.

"Well, that one was cute! He had potential! And there is no way that I'm going to let him get away either!" Jackie argued. She scanned the bar, trying to figure out where Phil had gotten to, but she turned up empty.

"Well don't let it be said that you weren't determined!" Steph said turning her back to Jackie so that she could concentrate on finagling a new drink out of the man who had just bellied up to the bar beside her.

Jackie pounced on Eddie as soon as he came over.

"Eddie! Who was that guy?"

The bartender arched his brow.

"Your Navy guy? He's a regular. He usually comes in on the off days though…Why?"

Jackie turned away from him, already plotting her next move.

"Oh, no reason at all... thanks!"

* * *

><p>AN- Yikes! The first time I posted it, I didn't realize that the un-edited version got put up. This one has a few minor tweaks. Also, no offense intended toward Marines and those who love them. We adore the Marines- Jackie was only teasing (after all- Phil could have been one for all she knew).

Thanks so much for your reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

Jackie finally dragged herself out of bed and went to the mirror to straighten her clothes. She rolled her eyes when she caught sight of the shirt that she had thrown at Phil. It was neatly folded and sitting on top of the dresser- next to the valet where his cufflinks were lined up in perfect symmetrical rows. She fought down a bratty urge to shake the box and mess them up. She supposed it was ridiculous to complain about a man who was too tidy. She still remembered the shock that she felt the first time she had stepped into his apartment...

* * *

><p>It had taken a lot of effort to bring Phil Coulson to ground. After their fateful first meeting, Jackie returned to Bugatti's the very next night. She perched on a bar stool and watched like a hawk for her quarry to reappear, but she was disappointed. He didn't show. Somehow, that made her resolve to see him again grow even stronger.<p>

Veronica and Stephanie were amused and then aghast when Jackie tried to convince them to blow off work the following Saturday and go back to Bugatti's again.

"What is your thing with this guy?" Ronnie asked, shaking her head in disbelief.

"He's not even your type!" Steph chimed in.

Jackie couldn't answer. She told herself that it was just the thrill of the hunt- she was always on the lookout for something new and different- and Phil Coulson was certainly not like any guy she had met before. She wondered if he was really as gentleman-like (and clumsy!) as he had first appeared. She wondered how long he had been in the Navy. She wondered if he had ever managed to get a drink that night that didn't wind up on his shirt or on the floor. Truth be told, she wondered entirely too much about Philip Coulson for someone she had barely met.

In the end, Jackie wasn't able to convince her friends to join her, and she wasn't brave enough to go alone, and so she picked up the graveyard shift at Denny's instead.

The sun was almost up when fate decided to smile on her at last.

Denny's was always packed when the clubs emptied, but by five AM, the after-hours crowd was finally starting to trickle out. Jackie kept her eye on the podium, trying to seat as many customers in her section as possible. It wasn't about the tips so much as self-preservation. Anyone who looked like they weren't busy ran the risk of being tapped by the manager to clean the bathrooms- and Jackie really couldn't face regurgitated Moons over My Hammy after an six hour shift. However, she was trapped at the drinks station, brewing a new pot of coffee when a new table came in. She groaned when she saw that the group- a trio of men as far as she could tell from the backs of their heads- was seated in Sherry's section. She only had two tables left- and one of them was asking for her check.

Jackie tried to look industrious when the manager, Larry, walked over to where she was standing and braced herself for the worst.

"Jackie- how much longer are you around for?" he asked.

"Uhm...as long as you need me?" she answered uncertainly.

This seemed to be the right answer. "Good- do you mind taking over for Sherry? She has to go home and get ready for church."

_Church? _Jackie thought that was a rather unlikely destination for her fellow waitress, but she kept her comments to herself.

"Of course," she answered quickly. She picked up the coffee carafe and walked over to Sherry's section to top off everyone's drink.

Jackie served the older tables first before approaching the three-top that had been freshly seated. "Can I get you anything else to drink?" she asked, pouring coffee into the upturned mugs and not really bothering to look at her customers.

One of them gave a pained-sounding moan.

"I'll take that as a 'no'" Jackie laughed. "Anyone else?"

"Ice water," the second man requested in a slurred drawl.

"Chocolate milk."

Jackie blinked in shock when she heard the third request- not at the novelty of a grown man requesting chocolate milk, but at the sound of a familiar voice. "Phil!" she blurted without thinking.

His eyes met hers. For a second, he simply looked confused- but then he flushed scarlet. "Er..." he said, struggling to place her name.

"_Jackie_," she reminded him, feeling slightly hurt that he hadn't remembered. Still, she managed to hold her smile in place. "One ice water and one chocolate milk coming right up."

Jackie dashed into the kitchen to get the milk and paused to check out her reflection in the dented metal of the dishwasher. Why couldn't he have come at the beginning of her shift? Jackie was certain that her hair and makeup were looking a little bit tired. She smoothed her ponytail and swiped on a fresh coat of lipstick before heading outside again.

"Here we go..." she said, putting the drinks down on the table.

The first man was laying face forward and seemed to be asleep. The second looked as if he were ready to follow his friend's example.

"Long night?" Jackie asked to Phil.

He quirked up the edge of his lips in wry half-smile that made Jackie's tummy do a funny flip. "Too long," he remarked. "My roommate Claussen picked a girl up at the club and drove back to her place."

"And that's...bad?" Jackie asked, wondering jealously if the annoyance on Phil's face was because he wanted to take the girl home himself.

"He took my car," Phil spat back.

"Cab?" Jackie suggested.

"The apartment key is on my keyring."

"Yuck..."

"Yeah- so I'm on babysitting duty until he comes home."

As if on cue, Phil's second companion slumped forward in the booth.

"Well...I can keep you company for a little while..." Jackie offered, hoping that her suggestion wasn't too forward.

Apparently it wasn't. Phil's lips quirked upwards again, although he tried to hide his pleasure by opening the menu. Unfortunately, the plastic edge knocked against his milk. Jackie dove forward and caught it just before it tipped.

"Am I going to have to bring you a sippy cup?" she teased.

After that, the tension was broken. Jackie had to break away from time to time to service her other tables, but she kept stopping back to flirt with Phil. He ate two plates of pancakes (which Jackie "accidentally" forgot to ring up), drank at least a pot and a half of coffee and lingered in the booth until Jackie's shift ended at eight.

"Can I give you a ride somewhere?" she offered after she had taken off her apron and signed out for the day.

"We could grab a taxi," Coulson answered.

"You could do that," Jackie agreed, "but it wouldn't be any trouble..."

"Only if it isn't out of the way."

"Of course not!" Jackie exclaimed before she had any idea where he lived.

She helped Phil drag his semi-conscious buddies out to the car and then drove them across the river to Chesapeake.

After leaving the pair to dry out on their front porch, she went back to the car to take Phil to his own apartment. He pointed out directions until they pulled up at a modest but tidy apartment building.

"Rob's back!" Phil announced with relief as they pulled into the lot. He jumped out of the car and walked over to an old but well-maintained Honda Accord and peered inside. "Nice," he grumbled, reaching inside and retrieving a set of keys that were clearly visible through the rolled-down driver's side window. "I guess this is why I keep it insured."

Jackie didn't have any reason to get out of the car, but she did anyway. She walked to where Phil was standing and peered up at him. She offered an encouraging smile, hoping that he would ask for her number- but he didn't seem to take the hint.

"Er...thanks for the lift," he told her. "It was good seeing you again."

"It was good seeing you again too," she said, perhaps a little too enthusiastically.

Phil tugged at his collar.

"So...er...I should-"

"Yeah," Jackie looked down at her feet, disappointed- but she quickly rallied. "Hey...would it be okay if I used your phone?"

"Of course," he responded in the same polite tone that he had used when they first met.

Jackie was more determined than ever to make him lose control.

They walked up a flight of stairs in silence and Phil stopped in front of a door labeled 15A.

"So...this is your place?" Jackie said, looking around the courtyard of the small apartment complex while Phil fiddled with the lock. He seemed to be having trouble with the key. Jackie smiled to herself, wondering if he was nervous...and sadistically hoping that he was.

Finally Phil managed to unlock the front door. He nervously motioned Jackie through, holding the door open for her. One look around the apartment and she could definitely tell which side was Phil's. Half of the front room was shipshape and stowed away- and the other looked like a bomb had gone off.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the neat half is yours. Oh course that's just a guess." She smiled at him coyly and kicked a dirty sock back over to his roomate's side.

"Got me figured out already?" Phil ambled into the small kitchenette and retrieved the phone. He laid it handed it to Jackie and then raked his blue gaze over her figure. "Now let me ask you this, your not really here to use my phone are you?"

She glanced back at Phil. "Got me figured out already?" She mimicked back at him. Jackie decided to gather what was left of her courage and just wing it. Jackie figured she already came this far, might as well go the extra mile. "I…uhm…I think that my phone call can wait…but…Since we're on the subject of phones though, you can at least ask for my number!"

Phil's eyes widened and Jackie's courage began to waver. She bit her lip and looked away. "Unless you're just not that into me. Or …_you're gay_?" Jackie's eyes widened in surprise and her hand flew to her mouth as realization set in. Oh God! That had to be it! Why would he be so neat and gentlemen-like otherwise? He had tried to turn down her drink and now he was ignoring her very obvious attempts to pick him up!

"Oh my God! I am so sorry! I'm not usually this straight forward, really I'm not. I'm more used to guys coming up to me and now I see why I-"

Jackie's rambling was cut off by Phil's laughter. Jackie's embarrassment quickly turned to anger. She glared at him, "It's not funny, I was being serious!"

Phil quickly regained control. "I know you were, its just…I dunno- a _long cruise- _but not that long! Its been a while since I've been in the company of a woman and I guess I'm just a little slow... Or maybe its just you."

Jackie was still pouting, but she still blushed and looked away from him stubbornly.

"Believe me," Phil said in a husky whisper. "I'm _not_ gay."

Jackie started to turn toward him again, but before she could manage it, he captured her face in his hands. Soft, warm lips descended upon her own. The kiss was short and sweet, but heavy with a promise of more to come. When their lips parted Jackie blinked up at Phil in surprise. Her skin was still tingling where they had touched. She hadn't been kissed like that in…well, _ever!_

Jackie grinned up at Phil.

"So I guess that means that you want my number?"


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 3**

"Mom, we're home!"

Jackie looked up from fixing dinner and grinned as her youngest son, Zachary came traipsing into the kitchen, bouncing his favorite basketball, and grinning from ear to ear. Zach looked like a typical nine year old. With his messy brown hair, hazel eyes, and mischievous grin he was her spitting image.

"Did you have fun?" Jackie asked.

"Yup! I almost beat Aaron in horse!" Zach continued to bounce the ball higher and higher.

"Well you'll win next time. Zach watch it," Jackie warned her son. "You know the ball goes out in the garage. Remember what happened last time?" she said, referring to an incident a few weeks before when he lost control of the ball and broke one of her favorite lamps.

"Okay." Zach sighed. Dodging his sister who was coming in behind him, he went to do his mother's bidding.

"Don't slam the-" Jackie winced as the door swung shut. "door." She finished lamely. Shaking her head she greeted her daughter. "Hey Maddie, did you have a fun time too?" Jackie grabbed the beanie off of her daughter's head and smoothed down her wavy hair. "There much better!"

"Mom!" Madison bemoaned the loss of her hat.

"I don't know why you wear that sock on your head, you look so pretty without it on."

Madison managed to get her beanie out of her mother's grasp and placed it back on her head.

"It's cool mom, you just don't get fashion."

"Ahh I see. Too old for you hip and happening kids these days!" She laughed at her daughters expression.

Unlike Zachary, Madison was more like her father. Her shy ways and serious expressions were just too cute. Plus it was so easy to get them flustered.

Madison plopped down at a stool at the island, idly watching her mother.

Jackie looked up at her. "How was youth group?

Madison gave a shrug. "Meh, it was okay. Becky says hi." Right as she said that a little ring sounded in Madison's hoodie. "Speaking of which." Like a teen expert she whipped out her cell and started texting.

Jackie laughed. "You just saw Becky a few minutes ago, what else do you have to talk about?"

"Teen stuff!" Madison said, putting down the phone she looked around. "Where's dad?"

"Working." Jackie said simply.

"Again? But its Sunday!"

Jackie focused on dinner. "I know." She shrugged, trying to play it off.

Leaning against the counter, Madison rested her head in her hands. "Maybe he'll leave his cell behind when you two go to Paris next week?"

Jackie sighed. "That's been cancelled I'm afraid. Your father's been assigned another important case with the IRS."

"Well that sucks!"

"Madison, we don't say 'suck', it isn't lady like." Jackie chastised.

"Ok stinks!" Madison smiled suddenly. "And here I was going to have a wild and crazy party while you two were gone!"

"Oh really?" Jackie asked. "And what would this 'wild and crazy' party entail?"

Madison began ticking things off with her fingers. "Staying up late, eating three kinds of ice cream and watch funny Youtube videos with Becky and Andrew!"

Jackie laughed, she did things much worse than that when she was her age. She was silently thankful that none of her kids took after her in that area.

"Woah you're pushing the limits kiddo."

"I know right? It's why I added the three kinds of icecream, leaves a nice touch don't you think?"

"Well party animal why don't you grab your brother and go wash up, dinner is almost ready."

The kids and Jackie sat down to eat, halfway through their meal Jackie suddenly remembered.

"Oh Maddie can you watch Zach next Friday? Your father is gonna start making up the Paris trip by taking me to the 1789." Jackie waggled her eyebrows and made a kissy face.

"Yuck! I'm eating here mom!" Zach said, totally grossed out at the thought of his parents making goo goo eyes at each other. Zach suddenly perked up. "Hey mom, you think dad will be able to come to my basketball game when it starts back?"

Madison snorted into her food. "I don't see why he would, he never comes to my track tournaments."

Jackie gave her daughter the 'look.' "Madison." She turned to her son. "I'm sure he will, honey. He only misses if something really important comes up_." _She chose to ignore the "_yeah, right_," that Madison muttered under her breath.

Evening turned into night. Jackie went through the common rituals of cleaning the kitchen and getting her children ready for bed. As Jackie climbed into bed, she looked at the opposite side of the mattress. It was cold and empty. Closing her eyes, Jackie tried to sleep. She wondered if she ought to wait up for Phil, but decided against it. Whatever emergency was urgent enough to call him into the office on a Sunday night was unlikely to be solved in a few hours. Besides, she had spent plenty of time in her life waiting around for Phil...

* * *

><p>Four days after Phil's first kiss, Jackie's lips were still tingling from the sensation. It had been almost impossible to tear herself away from Phil's apartment before she did something that she regretted (or rather, that she would enjoy but then fret about later). As the week slipped by, however, Jackie was starting to wonder if she should have seized the moment. Phil hadn't called- and she was starting to lose hope.<p>

It was Thursday evening before the phone at the cottage finally rang. Jackie's roommates were playing music so loud that she might have missed it if she hadn't been paying such close attention! As soon as she heard Phil's voice on the other end of the line, all of the discomfort and anxiety of the past few days faded away.

Phil apologized for not calling sooner. He told her that he was in Washington D.C. for a job interview.

"But I thought you were in the Navy!" she exclaimed.

"Not for much longer..."

Phil explained that he had enlisted in the Navy right out of High School to earn money for college. After he finished, he signed up for another two year tour- this time as an officer- to gain experience for a government position.

"What agency do you want to work for?" Jackie asked, and automatically cringed when he answered:

"The FBI."

Jackie's friends already teased her mercilessly for her crush on a sailor- she couldn't imagine the hell she would catch for dating a special agent- although, a tiny part of her had to admit that it was sexy as hell.

Phil was finishing up the physical fitness and psychological testing for agent selection and wouldn't be back that weekend at all- but he promised to call a few days later. Jackie was thrilled when he did. That time, he asked her out on a date for the night he got home.

Before Phil, the only "fancy" date that Jackie had ever been on was to the prom. The guys that she dated tended to be "pizza and beer" (and sadly, often "dutch treat" types), but Phil pulled out all the stops. She absolutely reveled in the jealous looks Ronnie and Stephanie sported when Phil arrived at the front door with a bouquet of flowers and kissed her on the cheek before walking her to his car.

They went to a seafood restaurant on the water. It wasn't expensive, but it was quiet and nice. Jackie felt so incredibly grown up that it was almost comical. What's more, she was surprised by how much she liked it.

She and Phil lingered at their table until the waiter started dropping hints that they had overstayed their welcome. Phil actually acted insulted when Jackie offered to help with the bill. After he paid, they walked along the boardwalk until the moon was high in the sky.

Jackie didn't know whether to be impressed or disappointed when he drove her back to the cottage. A part of her was expecting at least an invitation back to his place for "coffee"- apparently, he really was as nice of a guy as he seemed. He held her hand while he drove her home, but didn't try anything more- but the kiss that he gave her when he said goodbye was smoldering!

Jackie felt like waltzing on the clouds when he called her the next day, just to see how she was doing- and the day after that to see if she was up for coffee and a walk in the park. Slowly but steadily, she and Phil fell into the habit of seeing each other at least twice per week.

After a handful of dates, Phil asked her back to his place to watch a movie on his VCR. Jackie couldn't remember the title of the movie- truth be told, they didn't watch much of it at all. Phil's hands were absolutely everywhere, making her feel things that she hadn't even known were possible before- but somehow they both managed to stay in their clothes- and he didn't show any signs of pushing further. She wondered if she was going to have to make a move again!

Before she could put her plan into action, something devastating happened- she realized that it was almost time to go back to school!

"Somebody has to take the couch down off of the carport roof before we leave next week!" Ronnie told a pair of frat boys that hung around the house.

"Next week?" Jackie repeated in disbelief.

Steph arched a brow. "Are you planning to ditch school for Navy Guy? Classes start September 1st!"

Jackie bit her lower lip, partially out of habit and partially to keep herself from crying out in despair. Assuming that Phil got the job with the FBI (and he was so amazing at EVERYTHING (at least in Jackie's estimation) that she was certain he would), he was already going to be tempted by Washington D.C. beauties...she didn't know if he would have the patience to drive hours back and forth to Williamsburg to see her at school...but she wasn't ready to give him up just yet! She had to do something to convince him that she was a girl worth holding on to- luckily, she had a plan!


End file.
